Skating in Central Park
1859-60
Winslow Homer captured the chaotic, joyous energy of a winter day in New York City long before it became the bustling metropolis we know today. Dressed in their finest top hats and sweeping crinolines, fashionable New Yorkers glide across the frozen lake, though not everyone is mastering the art of balance. Right in the foreground, a poor fellow has taken a spectacular tumble, legs flailing in the air while his hat slides away, completely ignoring the 'DANGER' sign planted nearby. It's a brilliant snapshot of 19th-century leisure that shows us even the most elegant Victorians couldn't escape a good, old-fashioned wipeout on the ice.
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